I'm gonna warn ya now, this story will either be rather short, or you might have to wait like five or six weeks in-between posts. Don't ask why, just accept it! I'll try and finish it before that'll happen though. I'm just gonna warn ya. Oh, and major SPOILER for Divide and Conquer (like a whole scene from it…and Upgrades as well, if you wanna put it that way)
CHAPTER THREE
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"Major Carter was trapped behind a forcefield," Anise said.
"That's right," Jack replied.
Flashback
Jack was banging on the control panel. He managed to open it.
"Sir there's no time!" Sam said.
They heard footsteps and both turned to face that direction. Sam looked back at Jack, fear in her eyes.
End flashback
"There were sounds." Jack continued
"You did everything you could?" Anise asked.
"Yes," Jack said.
"You couldn't save her?" Anise said.
"No," Jack said bluntly.
"But you still could've saved yourself?" Anise pressed.
"I guess," Jack said.
Flashback
Jack was banging the force field.
"Sir," Sam started.
"I know, no!" Jack shouted, still banging.
End flashback
"What happened next?" Anise continued.
Flashback
Jack goes back to banging the control panel.
"Sir, just go," Sam pleaded.
"NO!" Jack said, meeting her gaze.
Sam had that pleading look in her eyes again. Jack looked like he had just realised something he never knew before. Then the Serpent Guards appeared behind them.
End flashback
"And what were you feeling?" Anise asked.
"Like someone who was about to die," Jack said, avoiding anyone's gaze.
Sam looked down at the machine that confirmed he was still hiding something, then she looked up at him. "Sir…"
Jack looked up to meet Sam's eyes.
Flashback
They were staring into each other's eyes. Standing very close, separated only by the force field.
End Flashback
"I didn't leave…" Jack paused. "Because I'd have rather died myself, than loose Carter."
"Why?" Anise asked.
"Because I care about her…" he looked up. "A lot more than I'm supposed to."
Sam and Jack's eyes meet again.
"You are not a Zatarc," Anise concluded.
"Now retest me," Sam said finally.
"Sam?" a knock came on the door of the caravan.
Sam's eyes sprung open. She looked at the roof and immediately everything that had happened the night before seeped back into her mind. She swallowed deeply.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"It's me, Daniel," said the familiar voice.
She let out a sigh of relief and rolled out her bed. She got up and walked over to the door. She opened it to find Daniel standing outside there. She ran her hair through her messy hair and smiled.
"Bit early isn't it?" she asked, looking at her watch. "Oh my god, its already eleven-thirty, I slept in."
"You're lights were on till late," Daniel said. "Did Jack come by?"
Sam felt herself turn slightly red and she looked away from Daniel.
"Sam, you OK?" Daniel asked.
"I'm fine," she said. "I just had a…dream."
"A bad dream?" Daniel asked.
"No, a good one," Sam sighed.
"Well then, what's wrong?" Daniel asked.
"Nothing, never mind," Sam replied.
"Oh, anyway, Teal'c and I are going to explore the farm. Ah, Anna's going to show us around," Daniel said. "Would you like to come?"
"Sure," Sam said. "Just give me a minute."
She closed the door and waited till she'd heard Daniel leave. She flung on some clothes and quickly brushed her hair. She glanced quickly over to the upside-down photo lying on her bed-side table, but decided it would be fine where it was.
Fishing. The wonderful art of sitting on the bank with a rod in one hand and a cold beer in the other. Jack leaned forwards slightly, trying to see if he could actually see any fish in the pond. Bruce had sworn there were fish in there, but he hadn't caught anything yet. He shrugged. He never caught anything in his lake either so he couldn't really complain.
"Nice, warm, weather," Jack mumbled.
He closed his eyes and listened for any sounds. All he could hear was cows mooing and a four-wheel-motorbike somewhere in the distance. Occasionally something would fall into pond and make a splash, but he ignored that.
He was having fun where he was.
Anna pulled on Sam's sleeve. "Sam, are you awake today?"
"Oh, just jet-lagged," Sam replied, yawning just to prove it.
Daniel looked over at her suspiciously. Sam didn't get jetlagged, she went to different planets on a daily basis and she had never, ever gotten jet-lagged. Teal'c also seemed to have noticed something odd about her behaviour, because he wandered over to Daniel's side as Anna dragged Sam down the hill to see the horse stables.
"Major Carter appears to be acting rather strangely," Teal'c said.
"Yeah, she is acting weird," Daniel replied. "Maybe its got something to do with that fight she and Jack had yesterday."
"I do not think so DanielJackson. Last night O'Neill and Major Carter were talking to each other without arguing of any kind," Teal'c said.
"You were listening?" Daniel asked.
Teal'c didn't reply, but a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Teal'c!" Daniel said. "That's very unlike you."
"I only overheard their conversation because it was rather loud and I was stacking wood outside Major Carter's caravan," Teal'c said. "I did not mean to listen in. But it was loud and rather interesting."
"Interesting?" Daniel repeated. "What were they talking about?"
"I will not reveal that DanielJackson," Teal'c said. "I don't believe either O'Neill or Major Carter would want any part of their conversation repeated."
"I understand," Daniel said.
There was a few minutes of silence. Daniel couldn't think of anything to say and Teal'c rarely, if ever, started a conversation. So they were left stranded.
"So…" Daniel said as they reached the horse stables. "Hey Anna, how old are you?"
"Fourteen," Anna replied. "Why?"
"You got a boyfriend yet?" Sam asked.
Anna smiled. "Yeah, kinda. What about you Daniel, you got a girlfriend?"
"I was married," Daniel said. "But, uh, my wife died about a year and a half ago."
"Oh," Anna said, her smile fading. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Daniel said. "It was for the better."
Teal'c and Sam shot each other a worried glance. Anna noted the subdued atmosphere and turned to Teal'c.
"You got a girlfriend?" she asked.
"I am married and I have a son named Ry…" he stopped. "..an."
"Ryan?" Anna repeated. "OK."
She turned around, back towards Sam.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Anna asked.
"No," Sam said.
"No?" Anna repeated. "But I saw a photo inside your caravan and…"
"What were you doing in my caravan?" Sam cut her off, but it was already too late.
"Photo?" Daniel repeated.
"From, my twin sisters wedding," Sam said.
"But it was of you and Jack," Anna said.
Sam turned bright red and Daniel smiled slightly. What was this about? Teal'c raised an eyebrow and turned to Daniel.
"Alright, that's enough," Sam said.
Anna shrunk back. "Sorry."
"No Anna, I'm not mad at you, you just don't understand," Sam said. "Don't worry, its not your fault."
"Maybe we should head back towards home, it'll be lunch time soon," Anna said.
Jack looked up as he heard talking and laughing behind him. Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and Anna were walking towards him. Sam Daniel and Teal'c broke off, towards the main house, but Anna started running in his direction.
"Hey Jack," she said, sitting down next to him. "You caught anything yet?"
"Nope, not a thing," Jack said.
"No food for you then," Anna smiled.
"Or anyone else," he replied. "Where're Carter, Daniel and Murray going?"
"Back home, for lunch," Anna said. "But it won't be ready for about fifteen minutes, so I thought I'd come and help you fish."
Jack laughed. "Well its no use, doesn't seem to be much here."
"You like fishing huh?" Anna asked.
"Oh yeah. I own a cabin next to a lake back in the US and I go there all the time," Jack said.
"Do any of the others go?" Anna asked.
"Teal'c came once," Jack said. "We didn't catch anything, so he won't join me again. I wouldn't want to spend the weekend alone with Daniel. No offence to him, but all his science stuff really gets to my head."
"What about Sam?" Anna asked.
She immediately saw she'd hit a soft spot and decided maybe it was better to change the subject. But Jack continued the conversation anyway.
"Her scientific techno-babble isn't quite as annoying as Daniel's," he said. "But she won't come."
"Why not?" Anna asked.
"For exactly the same reason I ask her to come," Jack sighed.
Anna gave him an expectant look. But there was no reply, no further conversation. They just sat silently on the side of the pond. Suddenly Anna perked up again.
"Maybe she'd come fishing here, on this pond," Anna said.
"I doubt it, it's not the nicest or most comfortable place is it?" Jack asked.
"Well we could take ya down to the Moran's lake. It's enormous and its surrounded by gum trees. It's really nice. Of course you'd have to take a boat out into the middle of the lake, cos there ain't no fish on the outside, but it's really nice," Anna suggested.
"Wouldn't the Moran's mind?" Jack asked.
"Nah, we're all friends around here. Casey and Morgan Moran are my best friends," Anna said. "They're twins."
"Ah," Jack said, reeling in the rod. "Well I don't think there's anything here, so how about we pack up and go have lunch. Then I'll see if we can drag Carter down to this nice lake."
Anna smiled. Her plan was working.
"Right. Well that was a nice lunch thanks," Bruce said, standing up. "But we gotta get down to town for some supplies. Anybody willing to join us?"
Daniel accepted and so did Teal'c. Sam was about to follow, but Jack caught her shoulder with his hand, spinning her around.
"Yes?" she asked, then remembering something else added. "Sir."
"Carter, Anna and I were gonna go fishing at the Moran's lake. It's really nice and surrounded by gum trees, according to Anna. I was wondering if you'd like to come?" Jack asked.
"Fishing, sir?" Sam asked. "On the shore or on a boat?"
"What does it matter?" Jack asked.
Sam was surprised by this answer. Maybe he knew that half the reason she'd never gone with him to his lakeside cabin was because she was afraid. Afraid of being alone with him, what might happen. She was even afraid of having a private, decent, conversation with him without having airmen and doctors wondering in and out all the time.
"You can do either," Anna said, popping up beside Jack again.
Sam saw Jack smile slightly. And she gave in.
"OK, it can't hurt to go fishing once," she said. "Who else is coming?"
"Just us three," Jack said.
At least we won't be alone, thought Sam.
"OK, sir," Sam said. "I'll just get my jacket."
Jack smiled. He was finally going to get his fishing adventure. All he had to do now was…
"Hey Anna," he said, as Sam walked out of the room. "You think you could maybe, not go fishing or something. Maybe decide to stay with your friends when we get over there, but don't tell Carter I asked you to because…"
"You just needa talk to her by yourself?" Anna asked.
"That's about right," Jack said.
"Sure thing," Anna replied.
